What is your motivation for doing research related to free-flowing rivers?
Free-flowing rivers are often narrow in width and as such can be easily left out of ecosystem assessments based on global-scale remote sensing product. By developing a method to map and monitor fluvial gravel bars I would like to investigate and showcase the impacts of disturbances on these ecosystems. This way, future water management and spatial planning decisions can be tailored to protect the natural dynamics of free-flowing rivers.
Why should we defend these wild rivers?
Many different plant, invertebrate, fish and bird species cannot survive without free-flowing rivers. Freshwater can be filtered and infiltrated into ground water much better in gravel-abundant wild rivers. We should defend free-flowing rivers to offer future generations the opportunity to experience and learn from them in the same way that we have done so.